Electronic sales method

Abstract

Methods are presented for facilitating sales transactions by electronic media. A temporary barcode or other design is affixed to the person or personal object during the period of time for which a financial transaction might occur. Before the sales transaction can be consummated, the barcode information is scanned and characteristics about the scanned code are compared to characteristics about other codes stored in a database for the specific time period in question in order to verify the identity of the buyer for a given time period. Once the information is verified, the seller may be authorized to debit the buyer's electronic bank account or charge their charge card account to consummate the transaction or transactions during a period of time. The seller may transmit the buyer's barcode and the buyer transmit the seller's barcode to a clearance center, where the buyer has a smartphone capable of scanning the seller's code.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of human identification comprising the steps of:
 providing, in an electronic database, identity information for a human: 
 providing, in the electronic database containing the identity information for the human, or in a different electronic database, identity information for each of a plurality of marks, the identity information for each mark being associated with the identity information for the human in a validating way by validating each mark for use during a predetermined time period; 
 providing the human with a transfer sheet for transferring, onto their person or a personal object for use during the predetermined time period, a mark which conveys the mark identity information to a scanner; 
 scanning a mark from a person or personal object; and 
 determining electronically from the time, the electronic database containing the identity information for the human, and the electronic database containing the identity information for the plurality of marks, whether the scanned mark is validated for use. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as in  claim 1  wherein the scanned mark is determined as validated for use by associating the mark identity information with the identity information for the human during the predetermined time period. 
     
     
       3. The method as in  claim 1  further comprising approving a financial transaction for the human in response to a determination that the scanned mark is validated for use. 
     
     
       4. The method as in  claim 3  further comprising debiting a financial account of the human in the amount of the transaction. 
     
     
       5. A method of human identification comprising the steps of:
 providing, in an electronic database, personal identity data for a human; 
 providing, in the same electronic database as the personal identity data for the human, or in a different electronic database, visually identifying characteristics data for each of a plurality of marks, with the visually identifying characteristics data for each mark being associated with the personal identity data for the human in a validating way by validating each mark for use during a predetermined time period; 
 applying one of said plurality of marks to an appendage or personal object of said human for use during the predetermined time period; 
 providing for scanning the mark previously applied to the human or personal object; 
 electronically transferring the visually identifying characteristics data for the scanned mark; 
 and 
 determining electronically from the time, the personal identity data for the human and the visually identifying characteristics data for the plurality of marks whether the scanned mark is validated for use. 
 
     
     
       6. The method as in  claim 5  wherein the scanned mark is determined as validated for use by associating the identifying characteristics data of the mark with the personal identity data for the human during the predetermined time period. 
     
     
       7. The method as in  claim 5  further comprising approving a financial transaction for the human in response to a determination that the scanned mark is validated for use. 
     
     
       8. The method as in  claim 7  wherein the mark comprises a temporary tattoo of a barcode or other scannable design that yields a data string. 
     
     
       9. The method as in  claim 7  further comprising debiting a financial account of the human in the amount of the transaction.